Aston Martin Vanquish

Vanquish production was ceased in 2007 and while its DBS replacement was more reliable, it never    recaptured the Vanquish's glamour quotient. Aston Martin hopes the new Vanquish will generate and bring back the lost glamour. The Vanquish's new interior is amazing, and the main controls on the centre console are now touch sensitive. Fit and finish is classic, although it seems that almost everything really stylish inside this car is a rather costly option. Touch-sensitive glass buttons vibrate when your finger makes contact, while the new Garmin sat-navigation and properly integrated infotainment system are light years ahead of the DBS with its clunky  navigation set-up and fussy stereo controls. . No-one  can match Aston for interior design and ambience, though the One-77 style ‘quartic' steering wheel and frowning air vents are both an acquired. But the ZF six-speed auto is not as efficient compared to the ultra-fast systems fitted by  McLaren orFerrari. The coachwork is sleek and stretched, although all modern Astons look quite similar.
The Vanquish borrows styling from the One-77 supercar. It also gets a pedestrian impact-friendly front, LED rear lamps and a lovely, seamless transition from the rear arches into the roof. A slightly more compact grille is surrounded by a flowing, bare carbon front splitter, bonnet vents and LED running lights, while protruding side strakes extend down the sides. At the rear you’ll find LED tail-lamps inspired by the One-77  and an integrated spoiler that looks more like a sculpture than an aerodynamic aid.

Originally the 5.9-litre V12 was based on two Ford Mondeo V6s, but Aston has reworked on it . There is a 9% increase in power from the DBS to 565bhp and the car has a top speed of 183mph, 0-62 mph in 4.1sec. The rich, multi-layered V12 exhaust note is superb especially when you hit the Sport button on the steering wheel. New launch control also allows you to experience the full 565bhp. Simply push the button marked L/C and move your foot from the brake to full throttle and, after a moment’s pause, the car roars off, with minimum wheel spin and maximum acceleration. A quicker steering ratio means the Vanquish feels more alert, more of the time, while the wheel weights up beautifully as you load up the outside wheel in corners. The most noticeable dynamic change, though, comes from the three-stage adaptive dampers, which give the car a broader character than before. Normal mode is surprisingly supple, rounding off sharp jolts like speed bumps with confidence. Sport mode noticeably firms things up and works well when you’re darting down a smooth country road. Track mode is best left for just that – it’s too firm for normal roads.  Despite the full carbon fibre skin, plus carbon on parts of the chassis, the Vanquish only weighs 1kg less than the DBS. Any savings are cancelled out by extras like the new infotainment system and bigger carbon-ceramic brakes. The new Vanquish is priced at  £189,995 which is quite expensive for an Aston.